The subsequent operation of making float glass involves longitudinally and transversely cutting the ribbon running at a certain rate of advancement from the float glass fabrication. The longitudinal cutting is performed here in the appropriate position by means of the longitudinal cutting wheels installed in a stationary manner above the ribbon and the transverse cutting is performed by means of cutting bridges and transverse cutting wheels moved transversely on said bridges over the ribbon.
In this way, glass plates of a considerable size can be produced. The sheet fabrication size or PLF refers to a size of 6 meters by 3.21 meters and the divided sheet fabrication size or DLF refers to a plate size of 3.21 meters by 2 meters (up to 2.5 meters).
In order to transport glass plates of such a size from one location to another without them breaking, holding mechanisms are used, usually in the form of an intrinsically stable frame, up to which the glass plate concerned is moved and to which it is connected by means of suction cups, and then the holding mechanism with the glass plate attached to it by suction is transported further.
In principle, the same operation is performed as in the case of the manual transportation of relatively small glass plates by means of handgrips together with suction cups.
A method for relocating objects from a first location to a second location using a holding mechanism that keeps the object secured to it during the relocation is known from the prior-art document DE 197 12 368 A1, with the intention of solving the problem of developing this method in such a way that objects can be safely relocated in a simple manner under any circumstances. Mentioned there as objects to be relocated are glass sheets. According to the characterizing clause of claim 1, this problem is solved by moving the holding mechanism up to the object to be relocated or moving it to the first or second location while taking into consideration the actual position and/or alignment of the same, the holding mechanism being aligned if required about one or more axes by utilizing a capability it has to rotate and/or pivot freely.
In a device claim that is also claimed, claim 7, it is explained in more detail that the object to be relocated is a glass sheet, the first location is a framework for a shipper, the second location is a conveyor belt and the holding mechanism is a suction frame. Furthermore, reference is also made in conjunction with the holding mechanism to signaling devices, decoupling devices, a picking-up device and a control device.
However, there is no disclosure in this document of an actual embodiment of particular means for quickly and reliably picking up and quickly accepting very large glass plates.
In DE 10 2005 060 452 A1, the preamble of claim 1 is based on a handling device for flat materials comprising a carrier frame with at least one suction frame, with evacuable suction heads, arranged in a carrying surface, for accepting flat materials to which suction can be applied.
According to the statements made in this document, it is intended in the case of such a device to solve the problem of providing a handling device for flat materials that can handle different formats and also, for example, alternatively coated and uncoated flat materials, and at the same time is of a structural design that is as simple as possible.
The invention or the solution to this problem is in this case that the carrier frame can be pivoted between a substantially vertical position and a substantially horizontal position of the carrying surface, the carrying surface being optionally able to pivot into a horizontal position with upwardly facing suction heads or a horizontal position with downwardly facing suction heads.
This document also does not contain any indication of an actual embodiment of particular means for quickly and reliably picking up and quickly accepting very large glass plates.